Court

Court is held at Warwick, Wuerensis.
The player knights have court at Hertford with the Earl and Duke

Special Guests

Duke Elmig of Caer Colun

Praetor Gilles of Royston

Marshal Hemel Hempstead

Lord Berkhamstead

Sir Aramine Ad Ansam

Olyd the Tinker

Gossip

"That Damsel Iulia is spending time alone with Sir Jaradan from Salisbury. And here she's engaged to Sir Morial. Aren't those Salisbury women just full of sin!"
“Don’t you think there are more important things than gossip about who is sleeping with whom? That Saxon army, the one led by giants, is even closer! The king’s so worried that he is mustering his whole army. Everyone!”
“They are going to go fight the Saxons and settle this one and for all. Don’t you ever talk to anyone but us?”
“Yes, of course I do. But don’t you think it’s too dangerous? What if he loses? We’ve lost plenty of times before, you know. Lose, win, lose, win, and then have men killed but don’t lose the battle. How does that work?”
“Listen, darlings, I am sure this will be the last one. All the dukes will be here. By this time next year, we’ll either be at peace or working as Saxon slave girls. But just go to Mass and pray for them instead of standing here and keeping us from talking about the duchess. Say, did you see the worn hem on that white satin outfit?”

News

Hemel Hempstead: “Eosa, are still at it. They’ve driven Malahaut to the ground and have pillaged the countryside. But Uther isn’t like those Northern kings to hide in a castle!”

Olyd: “Word is that Praetor Syagrius was devastated by King Claudas last summer.”

Aralyd: "Lucius yet lives and bears the strength of his father and grandfather! Two days after the Pentecost feast we shall have another wedding. Diane and Elmig shall unite in holy matrimony!"

Elmig: "I will need to keep some of my men home to patrol the Saxon border."

Praetor Giles: “Hengest’s son Octa is a great hero, and it’s said his cousin Eosa is so big that he can’t ride a horse. Plus, I heard the merchants saying that their army doubled in numbers last fall when a whole new fleet of ships arrived from Saxony.”

Royal Conversation

“A new Saxon army is in the north led by Octa and Eosa. They are pillaging Malahaut right now, and besieging Eburacum. Duke Lindsey has kept them out of Logres so far. All vassals of the king must report to war this summer with half their knights. Bring 40 days’ worth of food. We meet in three weeks at Hertford to muster at Lincoln. Half will march to Warwick. The other half will stay here to ward of Saxons from Essex."

Intrigue

The two Saxon kings have come because they want to get Uther’s magical sword. One of them has an enchanted weapon of his own, and he wants Excalibur as a gift for his brother king.

Critical Success: King Aethelswith has vowed to kill Duke Elmig of Caercolun. The Duke is looking for a manor in Hertfordshire to raise his son well out of reach of King Aethelswith. The Earl is looking for advice on where is the right place.

Success: Learn that Lord Berkhamstead is petitioning Earl Hertford to allow him to rebuild Ravensburgh Castle. He will then work with Earl Hertford to place a vassal of the Earl's as landlord of Ravensburgh.

Fumble:

Events

Birth of Diane's Child

Raid of Boxbourne

Another wimpy raid which is easily driven off.

Pentecost Court

Drunken Fit of Sir Aramine

Insults Madog and Gwenhwyfar.

Opportunity for Morial to marry Lady Morgannwyg, widow of Sir John, and raise his son.

Otherwise Earl will press to marry Lady Iulia this year.

Mustering at Lincoln

The British army, with roughly 2,000 knights and 5,000 foot, assembles at Lincoln, in Lindsey. All the great lords are present to do battle with the 10,000-strong Saxon army.
++Battle of Lindsey

Source: Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Brittania

Length of Battle: 9 rounds

Battle Size: Huge

Commanders

King Uther, center with Earl Hertford (Battle = 20)

Duke Ulfius, right flank (Battle = 10)

Duke Gorlois, left flank (Battle = 14)

King Octa, center (Battle = 19)

Eosa the Giant, right flank (Battle = 15)

Eomund (leading newly arrived Germans), left flank (Battle = 13)

Modifiers

Merlin has frightened the Saxons with omens: –5 to King Octa’s first Battle roll.

Uther has superior troops: +5.

Saxons are all on foot, so mounted knights get +5 to Combat skills

The Fight

Rounds 1–6. Normal.

Round 7. Gorlois charges through the Saxons and brings low the giant warrior Eosa! The Saxon right flank routs!

Round 8. Saxon center collapses and routs. This gives the player knights a great opportunity — to capture

King Octa! When the center routs, the player knights may push through the Saxon ranks and can see the Saxon King Octa on horseback, with several of his mounted heorthgeneats (they are really dangerous!), and also his battle standard, a banner with a wolf’s head dripping blood, guarded by several well-armed heorthgeneats on foot. They can choose one of the two to attack. Explain their options, of which the knights are well aware. The banner is guarded by a number of heorthgeneats equal to the number of player knights, and will probably be easier to win, netting some additional Glory. Attacking the king may cost several lives, for he is guarded by a number of heorthgeneats equal to one less than the number of pursuing knights — but then there is also the king himself, and he too is a fierce opponent. Success here warrants great Glory as well as a possible ransom or reward from the king if Octa is captured. Stress that success is necessary, and that you (the Gamemaster) are prepared to kill the knights if the dice fall that way. Neither target can be charged with lance, just attacked on horseback. Go through the melee as if it were single combat, not a battle round, until the player knights quit or are disabled, the king escapes or is captured, or the battle is otherwise resolved.
* Note: Even if Octa is brought low by the player knights, he is captured rather than killed, for he and Eosa play a role in the story once again starting in the year 493 A.D.
* Round 9. The final Saxon flank panics and is pursued. (Every surviving knight may pursue.)

After the Battle

Victor: Decisive Victory

Plunder: £14 of goods

Capturing Octa’s Banner: £25 (divided), plus 1 charger each.

Capturing King Octa: £100 (divided), plus 1 charger each.

Capturing Octa’s Banner: 250 Glory, divided among any knights who survived the experience.

Capturing King Octa: 350 Glory, divided among any knights who survived the experience.

Recovering

Finds missing squires. Sends them to do things. Rhys learns of King Uther's decisive victory. First word comes of King Eosa being taken down by Duke Gorlois and Saxons on the run. Then King Octa is brought in prisoner as well.

Bodies of Lan, Landry, Raegor, SBS, Godfrey and Windridge come in. They are all still alive and heavily bandaged.

All knights and squires awake throughout the day at least a little. Chirurgeons see to everyone. The Earl and Marshal come to visit and tell of everyone being impressed with their being able to go toe-to-toe with Eosa. Gives history of battle, including Sir Llywel of Winterbourne Stoke and Octa. Claims that Sir Rhodri of Tisbury's and Sir Morial's eschilles were blessed.

King Uther comes to honor the knights who first reached King Eosa and nearly destroyed his bodyguard. Provides strategic overlay of what the knights accomplished. The charge of Gorlois lurching the whole of Eosa's army to the right flank, leaving in a gap for Morial's eschille to reach Eosa. The inability of Eosa to rally his men as they fell under the weight of Gorlois. The brutal overrun of Saxon troops and capture of Eosa.

The Great Victory Feast

In Lincoln, the duke, whose lands have been saved from pillaging this year, has the victory feast spread through the entire castle, so that the bailey is an expanse of impromptu tables spread with abundant food and beer.

All knights present may attempt Temperate/Indulgence rolls.

In the duke’s Great Hall, the upper nobility celebrate. There, too, are any notable heroes of the battle. (If the player knights captured the banner or King Octa, they are present. Otherwise, they hear about these events only after the fact.) The king orders entertainers in to amuse everyone. Everyone is amused.

At one point a bevy of beautiful, well-dressed noblewomen enters, taking up ranks along one side of the hall. One of them steps forward. Her beauty and stature are particularly breathtaking, like those of a woman in a dream, and her voice is like music.

Everyone knight present must attempt a Lustful roll. On a success, the knight gets a directed trait of Lust (Ygraine) equal to the number of points by which he succeeded at his roll. A knight who fails this roll must then make a Chaste roll or gain an Amor (Ygraine) passion equal to the number of points by which he succeeded at his roll.

For example, a knight has a Lustful value of 10; the player rolls a 13, failing, so he must then make a Chaste roll (also having a value of 10). He rolls a 4, and thus gains a passion of Amor (Ygraine) 10 – 4 = +6.

Ygraine is reciting a poem of victory to praise the king, and the women behind her provide a chorus to the clear, ringing words. A knight who failed his Lustful roll and then succeeded at Chaste can look around the hall, making either an Awareness or a Compose roll (player’s choice).

Awareness

Critical: King Uther is spellbound. Overhear Merlin asking the King "What would you give for your greatest desire?"

Success: King Uther is clearly fascinated, perhaps even entranced or ensorcelled by the beautiful duchess.)

Failure/Fumble: Too smitten with Ygraine to notice anything else

Compose

Success/Critical: You know how skilled the maker of this poem was, and you get a check for Compose.

Failure/Fumble: Nice poem.

The women finish, there is a smattering of applause from the drunken, victorious nobles, and the women leave the hall. Uther stares boldly, and Gorlois, frowning, watches Uther.

The player knights are invited to the high hall for their strategic role in the battle. They are offered third row table, shared with the knights of Cornwall who accompanied Gorlois. The knights of Cornwall are boisterous and conceited, thinking they came in to finish the job the weak knights of Llogres couldn't finish.

The player knights not invited to the hall feast in the infirmary. Gentle "nurses" are sent in to comfort the wounded.

After the victory, King Uther marches his army to walls of Malahaut’s chief city, Eburacum. The Centurion King is outside, with his army assembled, at ease, behind him. The two kings meet warmly, and Uther is invited into the city under the condition that his army does not pillage, plunder, or act in any way other than friends to Malahaut.

A couple days later, the two kings, plus a formidable and appropriate escort, ride out to Catterick, a fortified city at the edge of Malahaut. They camp, hunt, and so on, and after a week and a half visitors arrive: Eurain, the king of Rheged; the Duke of Cambenet, who speaks on behalf of his liege King Uriens; and the King of Garloth, who has no idea whatsoever about the evil of his brother-in-law and ally, King Lot.

The knights are dismissed when they can all travel. This is after everyone is completely healed, at this insistence of Duke Lindsey.

Eosa gives them honor by subtly acknowledging their prowess while still maintaining a cocky deference. He notices the player character's wounds. Speaking through a translator will tell of Madog's light.

King Uther's retinue, including Ygraine and Gorlois, stop at Lincoln on the way back from Eburacum. At another, lesser feast the players have a chance to notice Uther's captivation with Ygraine at feast. Any knight having befriended a Cornish knight or otherwise in their midst will hear:

Gorlois is clearly hopping mad Uther. It could come to blows.

"We should have killed Uther when we had the chance last year."

"Its insulting. Honoring those who failed to fell King Eosa by sitting them next to us. We are the best knights in all Logres. Not only did we capture Eosa; but, we were unhurt in the process - easily mopping through the body guards that the Hertford knights could barely contain. They never even hurt King Eosa."

May get Hate (Cornish Knights) 3d6

Choosing a Path

Player Knights are offered the choice of what to do next, based on their inclination and the situation at home:

to be dismissed and go home until the Christmas Court, attending at Hertford

to be part of the king’s progress until explicitly dismissed

Adventure: THE KING ’S PROGRESS

Uther keeps many of his nobles close to him as he progresses through his realm, always asking them for advice — especially Duke Gorlois. But of course they all have their own holdings to take care of, and so one by one he releases them to return to their own lands. Yet although Gorlois asks to go every day, he and the Duchess Ygraine are not allowed to go.

The player knights are only released when the date of Sir Lewarewich's wedding approaches.

Marriage of Morial and Iulia

Father of the bride gets ripped on Calvados. He then proceeds to start making a nuisance of himself. He has a struggle to get down the isle to give away his daughter. After the ceremony he drinks more so that by the end of the feast he's sitting alone in a corner nursing one last cup of wine. His wife, a clear MILF who wants to clandestinely find an available knight and bed him - will choose men based on their glory down the line of player knights. Since that is Morial, she will chat him up a bit before the wedding.

Christmas Court

Court is held at Hertford shortly after Morial's wedding. Play up any fun incidents from the wedding.

Special Guests

Marshal of Caercolun, Gil ap Gyrgil, Lord of Norwich.

Gossip

"Duke Gorlois just up and left the King without leave. Can you believe it? I don't know what the King will do about it; but, I fear it will end in no good."
"Who do you think the King will appoint as steward to Caercolun? Will it be our own Marshal? Or perhaps Prince Madoc will be appointed as the new Duke Caercolun."

News

The northern Saxons are done. King Uther is very, very happy about it, and proud of Prince Madoc and his lords. It is rumored that he is going to advance Madoc to be some kind of duke or something as a result.

Comptal Conversation

"Now if only we can get Uther to pay attention to Aethelswith then we can be rid of our own Saxon threat. The Marshal and I are now discussing just how to do that. Thus we shall begin fortifying the border together and cooperating as two hands."

Intrigue

Players may make Intrigue rolls to determine the following:

Critical: Lord Berkhamstead sent his daughter to bed Sir Windridge last year. She's pregnant and openly claims bachelor Windridge as the father. Lord Berkhamstead demands marriage and rights to the heir or else.

Success: Earl claims the right of providing steward for his grandchild and must negotiate with Uther somehow. Asks notable knights for advice.

Failure: Uther lusts greatly after Ygraine and refused to let Duke Gorlois go because of her.

Fumble: Witness the insult from Tydig and his cousin to Windridge. Windridge responds by standing to confront them. Learn of the daughter this way as well.

Events

Rhys tries to keep child. Orate check:

Critical: Roll on Generous for Earl.

Success: let Rhys keep child

Failure: child raised at Hertford

Fumble: send child to Caercolun.

Success: child raised at Hertford

Failure/Fumble: child raised in Caercolun

Romance requirement from Diane

"Rhys, I love you with all of my soul. No other man will be able to satisfy me as you have already done." She looks at their son lovingly, "Promise me this. Above all else this one thing will prove your love to me. Never give up on our love. You must not take my father's 'no' for an answer; but, always find a way to turn 'no' into 'yes'. My prayer above all else is that together we can have many more sons."
Though the Romance rules don't apply to Rhys precisely, the Glory gains will continue so long as he and Diane remain unmarried. Should either character marry agian the Glory rewards will cease. Glory awards grow just like the Romance rules( i.e. 50 per turn starting at fifty thusly: 50, 100, 150, 200, …)

HeorthgeneatGlory Gained: 17Attributes: SIZ 16, DEX 8, STR 14, CON 14, APP 11Damage: 5d6, Healing Rate: 3, Move: 3Armor: 6+shieldHP: 30, Unconscious: 7, Major Wound: 14, Knockdown: 16Combat Skills: Axe 17, Great Spear 16, Javelin 13, Spear 13Skills: Awareness 15, Boating 12, Swimming 10Traits: Valorous 12Passions: Honor 10
The mounted heorthgeneat with King Octa have used all their javelins, so they fight with axe and shield. Their job is to protect their king, and they willingly sacrifice themselves to help him escape.
Those heorthgeneat guarding Octa’s banner are on foot and armed with great spears (hence no shields), so they do not suffer a negative modifier against mounted knights. They fight to the death to protect their battle banner.

Manor Results

Lewarewich - Lewarewich. Kind year to Lady Iulia. 6£.

High Wycomb - Raid by Cymric knights. Took most of the cattle. Young Percy led the lineage men to frighten them off and recovered the cattle. Meagre, 5£ (cost 5£).

Henlow - Herd disease. Calves dying. Meager. 5£.

Madness of Sir Madog.

490 Fall and Winter = Fall in with Bandits. Bow, Dagger, Hunting.

491 Spring and Summer = death released you from his company. You receive the benefit of his largesse.

491 Fall and Winter = You wandered the forest prophesying and were restored to you true self by wandering friars. You gain 1d3 prophecies of the future. Religion (your own).

Bushey - Good. There is a sign of the devine, the weather is unchangingly perfect every day ever since Merlin is seen travelling through the lands. 9£

Sawbridgetooth - Pestilence. Sheep had the scabbies. No wool. No meet. No cheese. -2£ (Cost 5£.)

Chesham - Unexplained fire in the village during the early winter. 1/4 village is destroyed. +3 hate. Otherwise the steward shows genius in trading excess newborn goat kids for fine silverware. 9£ income (profit of 4£.) Make an Intrigue roll:

Critical Success: Arson! The farrier is jealous of a refugee from Caercolun who also knows the trade and tried to kill him or run him out of town. How to respond?

Success: Arson! It isn't clear who did it or where exactly it started.

Failure: No idea what happened.

Fumble: Arson! The vicar has something to hide and started the fire at the chapel. He's run out of town and a new vicar must be found.